Hi all, what engine oil works best? Synthetic ok?
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Open can of worms here...
Well here goes my opinion first... I like the Amsoil z-rod 10-30 for synthetic - it has all the right stuff for flat tappet cam protection. I live in an overall climate of 60-80 degrees and I typically run Valvoline Racing VR-1 20-50 year round. The VR-1 has all the stuff for flat tappet protection too. I use VR-1 over the z-rod because my oil gets changed around the 2500 mile mark regardless and the VR-1 is cheaper.
Brad Penn oil has the correct zinc content
For Subaru cars Rotella T6
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the old British bikes(flat tappets) love Valvoline VR1Racing oil 20w50 for the high Zinc content
Mike Naz 356 posted:Hi all, what engine oil works best? Synthetic ok?
I'd be very careful here with your research and decisions. Flat tappet engines like specific oil types. Excursions from that can be serious....$$$$.
Brad Penn the #1 choice for flat tappet engines
HOLY WARS!
I, again, stake my position on straight 3-in-1 but I've always been fastidious about changing it every 60,000 miles.
Now you've done it!!
Olive oil - extra virgin, preferably.
Valvoline 4-stroke motorcycle oil. Available EVERYWHERE: Autozone, Advanced Auto, Walmart, etc. It's usually on a separate shelf from all the regular oils. It's designed for Harleys, which are flat tappet engines, just like ours. Been running it for 5 years now.
On another note, I use 10w40 instead of 20w50. Lowered the cylinder head temperature by 20 degrees with that single change. Exact same oil, just lighter weight. Oil temp is unchanged, as it is thermostatically controlled.
HERETICS!
Shades of the movie 'Groundhog Day'. 
My daily driver VS with 1835cc logged 161,000Km (that's 100,000 trouble-free miles) trekking all over the Western U.S. on 20/50 detergent oil bought at Pep Boy's (or Auto Zone).
Mike, this self-induced angst is kinda like a patient reading through a Physicians' Desk Reference (PDR) and thinking you have EVERY symptom and ailment described in the entire book.
DRIVE THE CAR - ENJOY THE JOURNEY (with your AAA card in your wallet)! 
Oh, and 'Welcome To The Madness'.
Stan Galat posted:HERETICS!
Yes, that's me!
DannyP posted:Valvoline 4-stroke motorcycle oil. Available EVERYWHERE: Autozone, Advanced Auto, Walmart, etc. It's usually on a separate shelf from all the regular oils. It's designed for Harleys, which are flat tappet engines, just like ours. Been running it for 5 years now.
On another note, I use 10w40 instead of 20w50. Lowered the cylinder head temperature by 20 degrees with that single change. Exact same oil, just lighter weight. Oil temp is unchanged, as it is thermostatically controlled.
Thanks Danny, there is a lot about high Zinc content and that Penngrade 1 10/40 is the right oil for the engine and protects well. Have you inquired about the difference?
David Stroud posted:Mike Naz 356 posted:Hi all, what engine oil works best? Synthetic ok?
I'd be very careful here with your research and decisions. Flat tappet engines like specific oil types. Excursions from that can be serious....$$$$.
Please explain
Mike Naz 356 posted:David Stroud posted:Mike Naz 356 posted:Hi all, what engine oil works best? Synthetic ok?
I'd be very careful here with your research and decisions. Flat tappet engines like specific oil types. Excursions from that can be serious....$$$$.
Please explain
No one, not even engineers in the field of study related to viscosity can agree on what is the right oil. Hence every oil manufacturer out there says their oil is best. Lots and lots of research with zero consensus.
High zinc - phosphorus the norm for older flat tappet design engines...I recall an article Jake Raby wrote stating he steered away from actual oil recommendations but he did lean heavily toward Brad Penn within the article. I use either Shell Rotella diesel oil ( yellow container) or Brad Penn 30 ..... But always use Brad Penn green oil for breaking in a engine. Dozens of air cooled motors never went bad with one exception when in my senior moment I reversed the remote oil filter housing feed and return hoses and the fresh 1915 engine ran nicely for 6.7890 seconds and promptly seized.
I always used Brad Penn oil in my previous speedsters. I figured the zinc content had to help, and many of the wise ones on here always recommended it.
Now, I let the shop change the eleven liters of oil in my IM6. And they use a special, secret Germanic oil that only 911 owners (or those with a 911 engine) know about.
See what I mean @Mike Naz 356 ?
Now you need to ask who builds the best speedster and we can go from there...
@Rusty S Imagine if the the Nardi horn button wiring topic gets resurrected :~)
Rusty S posted:See what I mean @Mike Naz 356 ?
Now you need to ask who builds the best speedster and we can go from there...
😂
Mike Naz 356 posted:DannyP posted:Valvoline 4-stroke motorcycle oil. Available EVERYWHERE: Autozone, Advanced Auto, Walmart, etc. It's usually on a separate shelf from all the regular oils. It's designed for Harleys, which are flat tappet engines, just like ours. Been running it for 5 years now.
On another note, I use 10w40 instead of 20w50. Lowered the cylinder head temperature by 20 degrees with that single change. Exact same oil, just lighter weight. Oil temp is unchanged, as it is thermostatically controlled.
Thanks Danny, there is a lot about high Zinc content and that Penngrade 1 10/40 is the right oil for the engine and protects well. Have you inquired about the difference?
Brad Penn has 0.150 Zinc and 0.140 Phosphorus by % weight.
http://www.amref.com/Media/Fil...grade_HP_Oils_PB.pdf
The Valvoline 4 stroke motorcycle oil has 0.112% Zinc and 0.103 % Phosphor.
https://sharena21.springcm.com...11-9c10-ac162d889bd3
The old oil standard, GF-4, allowed 0.06% zinc and phosphor by weight. The new GF-5 standard allows even less. This was enacted in 2010, and all new cars require this.
My engine is very healthy running the Valvoline, and while not quite as much Zinc and Phosphorus as Brad Penn, it is certainly a far cry from the "standard oil" you would put into a new car.
I REALLY like the easy down-the-street availability and cost of the Valvoline I use. $6 regularly but goes on sale for $4, which is when I buy a case. I'm not trying to be cheap here, but it is a bonus. Easy availability trumps it all.
This took me about 5 minutes to research. Good luck with your oil choices.
Bob: IM S6 posted:I always used Brad Penn oil in my previous speedsters. I figured the zinc content had to help, and many of the wise ones on here always recommended it.
Now, I let the shop change the eleven liters of oil in my IM6. And they use a special, secret Germanic oil that only 911 owners (or those with a 911 engine) know about.
Which Brad Penn oil? There is the green, there is the Penngrade 1. 10/40 I presume?
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Click the first link above, it breaks it down by viscosity. Penn Grade1
The guy with the 100,000 mile daily driver (with total of 135,000 miles on two VS daily drivers) and avoids the Cool-Aid is summarily dismissed! 
P.S. - Didn't Jake Raby invent motor oil when he was 9 and refined zinc additives when he was 10?
MusbJim posted:The guy with the 100,000 mile daily driver (with total of 135,000 miles on two VS daily drivers) and avoids the Cool-Aid is summarily dismissed!
P.S. - Didn't Jake Raby invent motor oil when he was 9 and refined zinc additives when he was 10?
for a jarhead (Marine)he's pretty cocky.
Of course you used the derogatory term "jarhead" in jest ......
Panhandle Bob, USMC, 1969-1972 1/9, MP's, etc.
Mike Naz 356 posted:Bob: IM S6 posted:I always used Brad Penn oil in my previous speedsters. I figured the zinc content had to help, and many of the wise ones on here always recommended it.
Now, I let the shop change the eleven liters of oil in my IM6. And they use a special, secret Germanic oil that only 911 owners (or those with a 911 engine) know about.
Which Brad Penn oil? There is the green, there is the Penngrade 1. 10/40 I presume?
I used the Green Oil, partial synthetic, and I believe it was 20w/50. I have two quarts of 10w/40, and one of 20w/50 left over, but I think it was the 20w/50 that I used. That's a few years back, and I could be wrong re: which weight I used.
Panhandle Bob posted:Of course you used the derogatory term "jarhead" in jest ......
Panhandle Bob, USMC, 1969-1972 1/9, MP's, etc.
yes its in jest, we squids who served with them in Nam are about the only ones that can say that w/o getting splattered...the Marines really do have a soft spot for squids,they wont admit it, but they do :}}
Danny gives the zinc/phos levels by % weight - does anyone know how that compares to ppm that Mobil 1 uses for their oils in their chart in the link below?
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/a...duct-specs-guide.pdf
Here's their response to someone asking about using their oil in a classic car:
https://mobiloil.com/en/faq/as...vel-for-classic-cars
Bill
Barncobob:
I'll admit it. Bless you, brother!
slowshoes posted:Danny gives the zinc/phos levels by % weight - does anyone know how that compares to ppm that Mobil 1 uses for their oils in their chart in the link below?
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/a...duct-specs-guide.pdf
Here's their response to someone asking about using their oil in a classic car:
https://mobiloil.com/en/faq/as...vel-for-classic-cars
Bill
I believe all you have to do is move the decimal point. 0.150 % becomes 1500ppm.
As referenced here, but I can't attest to the veracity of this:
I run Brad Penn like Alan said.
Ordered the Penngrade 10-40. 👍🏻
DannyP posted:slowshoes posted:Danny gives the zinc/phos levels by % weight - does anyone know how that compares to ppm that Mobil 1 uses for their oils in their chart in the link below?
https://mobiloil.com/~/media/a...duct-specs-guide.pdf
Here's their response to someone asking about using their oil in a classic car:
https://mobiloil.com/en/faq/as...vel-for-classic-cars
Bill
I believe all you have to do is move the decimal point. 0.150 % becomes 1500ppm.
As referenced here, but I can't attest to the veracity of this:
Thanks for the reply Danny - much appreciated!
Bill
No trouble Bill.
I guess I lie somewhere between you Brad Penners and Musb "whatever's on sale" Jim.
I'm good with my half to 2/3 the price solution. And I'm doing it on a not available anymore Raby motor!
Also, I have no need for synthetics(which was part of the original question). Waste of money as far as I'm concerned. I don't know about you, but changing oil every season works for me, as I run anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 a year.
I've been using Brad Penn Green 10W-40 for years with excellent results. I'm happy without synthetics in my VW engine, but could be convinced to use them IF they had adequate zinc and phosphorous in them.
I started reading this on the evening of the 4'th day of our biking trip - Only catching up now.
I feel asleep after about the sixth post (no kidding - We were all pretty tired by then).
Woke up the next morning with the iPad still next to my hand on the bed.
Decided right then and there to stay off the forum as much as I could, otherwise I would end up like Hugo in the van going to Denver:
That blue bandage on his arm was from hitting the deck after his bike lost traction on a slippery trail curve. His hip looked even worse. Here's his arm:
Now I've finished the thread - And need a nap!